How does change happen? What kinds of actions have the most impact? Who needs to be involved? How can funders support project teams in their work?

These are some (not all!) of the questions the Real Estate Foundation of BC has grappled with as we work to gain a better understanding of the conditions, choices, and partnerships that can contribute to positive change.   

As part of this work, our team has developed a theory of change (described in our Impact Guide). Using our theory of change as a framework, we’ve asked non-profits we support to share their findings, stories, and reflections on how their work is contributing to change. We call this impact assessment.  

In our first-ever Impact Report, released today, we’ve compiled our impact assessment findings into a story-driven exploration of the factors, practices, and relationships that contribute to positive impacts in land use, fresh water, and communities.  

Download the Report

For REFBC, impact assessment data can help test our assumptions, shape our thinking on how change happens, and inform future decisions about what (and how) we make funding choices.

Shared more broadly, impact assessment data can help grantees and funders learn from each other, see their experiences reflected back, and understand how their work contributes to bigger shifts.

Findings

We’ve learned that there is no simple formula for making change and achieving impact, particularly when working in complex social, environmental, and economic systems, with many players, dynamics, inequities, and imbalances.

However, in the stories and reports from project teams, a few key themes have emerged:

• Strong partnerships are critical to shaping lasting, fulsome change. Good things happen when diverse group of people come together with shared goals and interests.
• Developing these partnerships takes time and resources, which needs to be accounted for in project plans.  
• Spending time together, in-person and on the land, is an important way to build relationships and learn alongside partners.  
• Change work is not easy and setbacks are common. Project teams need time and flexibility for learning, adjusting, and adapting.  

These themes help to refine and test our ideas about how change happens. Through impact assessment, we’ve also identified some gaps in our thinking, like the importance of experiential learning, and will continue to adapt our grantmaking practices as we learn from the non-profits we support.

Links

• 2020 Impact Report [pdf]
• REFBC’s Theory of Change